One of the hardest lessons in life is learning how to wait. In our instant world, we want our food to be fast, our internet to be fast, our kids to hurry up and put on their shoes faster. I’ve been learning that things take time and each person grows and learns in their own time. I’m learning to be patient with myself and with my husband and my kids and those around me. Sometimes it’s cooking and baking that teach me how to wait. Much of cooking is about timing, when to put in certain ingredients because some cook faster than others and you don’t want them to get mushy. Timing is also important in baking because if you take out your bake too soon, it might still be doughy. If you take it out too late, it might burn on the bottom. With these cheesecake bites, even though you might want to eat it right out of the oven, the best way is to set it in the refrigerator overnight. They will be ready and waiting for you to eat and enjoy them the next day. Each cooked or baked creation has its own time when it is ready, and this applies to us too.
Ube Coconut Cheesecake Bites
Ingredients
For the crust:
2 cups of coconut cookie crumbs (I used 45 Thinsters coconut cookies which I pulsed in the food processor. You can alternately use another brand of coconut cookies. I like a lot of crust, so I used more crumbs.)
1/2 cup coconut oil, room temperature
For the filling:
16 ounces (2 packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
For the topping:
1/3 cup Ube Macapuno jam
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper and leave 2 sides to overhang the pan. (This is to make it easier when taking the cheesecake out.)
In a medium bowl, put the coconut cookie crumbs and coconut oil. Mix until well combined. Press mixture into bottom of the pan. (You can use a measuring cup to help press the mixture all the way down firmly.) Bake the crust 12-14 minutes. Set aside crust to cool in pan.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and cornstarch on medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and sea salt. Mix on low speed about 1 minute. Do not mix too much. It’s ok if there are tiny lumps.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Pour the cheesecake filling into the cooled crust. Smooth out the surface evenly with a spatula or knife. Pour the ube macapuno jam into a ziplock sandwich bag or small piping bag. Cut off 1/2” from tip. Squeeze 5 horizontal lines of jam across the surface of the cheesecake filling. Lightly drag a knife perpendicular to the jam lines. Do this 6 more times, but wipe the knife clean every time. Be sure that they are evenly spaced. This will create a nice slightly wavy pattern.
Bake cheesecake for 40-42 minutes. The edges will be firm, but the middle will be slightly jiggly. Remove the pan from the oven and cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate overnight for best results.
Use the parchment paper edges to gently lift the cheesecake out of the pan. Put onto a cutting board, and cut into squares. For bigger bites, cut 16 squares. For smaller bites, cut 25 squares. Wipe the knife between cuts to make clean edged squares. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Enjoy!
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